Police watchdog investigating after man dies in RCMP-related incident

A 38-year-old man from Prairie Lakes, Man. is dead after a conflict with RCMP on his property Friday night.

Mounties say it started around 9:50 p.m. when officers went to the man’s house to serve an arrest warrant for flight from police. They were spotted by the suspect while he was in his yard. Police say the man then turned towards the house, retrieved a gun, and shot it towards the officers.

There was an exchange of gunfire. RCMP say the suspect then barricaded himself inside the house.

A large number of police resources were sent in, including the Critical Incident Command, the Emergency Response Team, and the Crisis Negotiation Team, as well as officers from nearby detachments.

Officers at the scene noticed smoke coming from the home and it became engulfed in flames. The local fire service was called but firefighters were not able to safely access the scene because of the shooting. Officers remained at the scene overnight and contained the area.

The next morning a body was recovered from the home. An autopsy has been scheduled to confirm the identity.

Forensic Identification and Major Crime Services continue to assist with the case, but the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba has now taken charge of the investigation. The Office of the Fire Commissioner is investigating the fire.